Dirigible headlight



A. MELLINGER.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION mm lUNE26 1911.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- ATTORN EY m! coumum PLAMAPH ccn. WASHINGTON, n, c.

A. MELLINGER. DIRIGIBLE HEADLlGHT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26. I917.

5 0a R 9 ML 2 z m Wm. 0 "F 7 dm r 2 K W a P 6 l w a0 a 7 n a 6% a a mu ATTORNEY mum UNITED STATES PATENT @lllBICE.

AARON MELLING-ER, OF OLIVET, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

Application filed June 26,

To all unto/1t it 'nmy concern:

Be it known that I, AAnoN MnLLrNenn, a citizen of the United States, residing at ()livet, in the county of Hutchinson and State of South Dakota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Headlights, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates generally to dirigible headlights for automobiles, and more particularly to an improved type of lamp support therefor.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the production of a device of the above stated character for effecting an automatic turning of the headlights upon the turning of the machine to one side or the other, or in rounding curves, or the like places, consequently, the light from the lamps will be thrown squarely in front of the vehicle.

A. further eu'ibodiment of the invention contemplates the provision of means for adjusting the turning movements of the lamp.

Furthermore, the invention among other features contemplates the production of a table having mounted therein a pair of compression springs for automatically returning the lamps to normal position after the vehicle has resumed a straight path of travel.

With theabovo and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel features,

details of construction and combination of parts which will hereinafter be more fully set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

1917. Serial No. 177,128.

coinpanying drawings, in which like characters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views, A denotes a motor vehicle, B the steering mechanism therefor, and the connecting rod connected with the link of the steering mechanism in such a manner as will. cause a turning action of the headlights C when turning to either the right or the left, in the rounding of curves or the like places, to throw the light squarely in front of the machine. these objects in view, the improved type of lamp support denoted generally by the reference character 6 embodies a standard 7 on the upper half of which is rotatably mounted a supporting post 8. The upper extremity of this supporting post is provided with a threaded shank 9 on which the forked lamp carrying members 10 are mounted, and retained thereon against any accidental displacement, by the screwing of the nut 11 on said shank. The upper half 12 of the standard is received in the bearing socket 13 of the supporting post and any accidental displacement of the supporting post from the portion 12 of the standard is pre vented by the adjustment of the lock screw 1 -3.- in the groove 15 for ned in the upper end of the standard. A collar 16 is slidably mounted on the bearing post 8, which serves to hold the offset arms 17 of the connecting rod to said steering post, consequently, upon the turning of the steering mechanism, will cause both of said lights to turn in the di.rec tion the vehicle is being steered for the purpose previously stated.

18 denotes a flat dislnshaped base plate formed on the lower end of the supporting post 8, which co-acts with the circular diskshaped table 19 provided on the standard 7, to cause the lights after turned to a position. other than the normal position of the lights, to be automatically throtn to such position that the light will be thrown squarely in front of the car after the car has assumed a straight path of travel. To this end, the table 19 has provided in its top face a pair of diametrically arranged curved grooves 20 in which the curved compression springs 21 are located, and the compression of the springs, upon the rotation of the base plate 18, is effected by the engagement of the lug 22 with the end of one of the coiled rings at the poi l by the cl er and t.

lVith lv 11H of the lug 2% with the end of the opposite spring denoted by the character 25. These lugs are formed integral with the base plate 18 and depend from the under face thereof, and disposed diametrically opposite one an other, and will travel or ride in the grooves 20 of the table until the projection 26, formed on the outer periphery of the base plate 18 engages with a similar projection 27 projecting laterally from the periphery of the table 19. The initial revolving action of the base plate 18 upon the table 19 is caused by the provision on the free extremity of the offset end 17 of the connecting rod of a pivoted spring pressed catch 28 engaging with the linger 29 projecting laterally from the outer periphery of the table, that is to say, upon the rounding of curved or the like places, the catch 28 of the connecting rod, by its engagement with the finger 29 of the base plate, will revolve the supporting post to a distance suflicient for throwing the light in a direct path of travel of the car. Obviously, the catches 28 are positioned with respect to the fingers 29 to impart a single turning movement to one of the lamps upon the rounding of curves and the like places, that is to say, when the front wheels of the vehicle make a turn in one direction one of the lamps remains in a straight ahead position while the other lamp is turned in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling. However, in the projection 27 is threadedly mounted an adjusting screw 30, whereby the exact distance desired for the turning of the lights may be accomplished. Provided around the outer periphery of the base plate 18 is a depending annular guard flange 31 which embraces the table 19 and prevents dirt, dust or the like foreign matter from accumulating between the base plate and table and retain the parts constituting the lamp supported in a cleansed condition at all times.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of construction and the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while I have described the principles of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed as new, is

1. An automobile lamp mechanism comprising a standard, a lamp carrying sleeve mounted on said standard for rotation, annular members carried by said standard and sleeve respectively and unitedly defining a spring receiving casing, springs arranged within said casing to normally maintain the lamp in a straight-away position, an arm having an angular extremity loosely embracing said sleeve, means connecting said arm with the steering mechanism, and co operating means carried by said angular extremity of the arm, and the annular member of said sleeve to rotate the latter and said lamp upon turning of the vehicle in one direction.

2. An automobile lamp mechanism comprising a standard, a lamp carrying sleeve mounted on said standard for rotation, annular members carried by said standard and sleeve respectively and unitedly defining a spring receiving casing, springs arranged within the casing and cooperating ith said angular members to hold the lamp in a straight-away position, an arm having one extremity loosely embracing the sleeve, means for connecting the arm -with the steering mechanism, means carried by said arm for engagement with the angular members of the sleeve to rotate the latter and said lamp in one direction, and means for holding the latter mentioned means inactive to prevent turning of the lamp upon movement of said arm.

8. An automobile lamp mechanism comprising a standard, a lamp carrying sleeve mounted on said standard for rotation, annular members carried by the standard and sleeve respectively, and nnitedly defining a spring receiving casing, springs arranged within the casing and cooperating with one of said annular members to hold the lamp in straight-away position, an arm having an annular extremity loosely embracing said sleeve, means for connecting said arm with the steering mechanism, a stud carried by the annular member of the sleeve and a pivoted finger carried by the arm for engagement with the stud to rotate said sleeve and lamp in one direction, and means for holding said finger either in an active or inactive position.

In testimony whereof I a'ltix my signature.

AARON MELLINGE Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

